MEGURI2040 Stage 2 Achievements Announced: Four Demonstration Vessels Receive Autonomous Ship Certification from MLIT

Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (MOL; President & CEO: Takeshi Hashimoto; Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo) announced that on March 27, 2026, all four demonstration vessels in Stage 2 of the "MEGURI2040" unmanned autonomous ship project, promoted by The Nippon Foundation, passed the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism's (MLIT) ship inspection as autonomous vessels and have commenced commercial operations.

MEGURI2040 is a project launched by The Nippon Foundation in 2020 to realize unmanned autonomous navigation and ensure stable transport of people and goods. It addresses urgent issues in the maritime industry, such as crew shortages due to an aging population and accidents caused by human error. 53 domestic companies, sharing the project's vision and social significance, formed the DFFAS+ (Designing the Future of Fully Autonomous Ships Plus) consortium to advance technology development and social implementation. MOL, as a member of the DFFAS+ consortium and working group leader for the demonstration vessel 'Mikage,' has led the coordination of demonstrations and preparations for obtaining autonomous ship certification.

■ Key Points of Demonstration and Development

The DFFAS+ consortium designed and developed the autonomous ship not as a standalone technology, but as an integrated navigation system combining onboard systems, communication systems, and shore-based support systems. The demonstration vessels, including cargo and passenger ships, feature autonomous navigation capabilities equivalent to Level 4, applied through both new builds and retrofits. The design integrates peripheral recognition, unified navigation status displays, future behavior prediction, and collision avoidance/route planning, based on autonomous judgment with human monitoring and intervention.

These vessels operate in coordination with shore-based support centers (a permanent facility and a mobile unit) via stable satellite and cellular communication lines, ensuring safety and redundancy by allowing simultaneous monitoring and support for multiple vessels.

■ MOL's Role

In Stage 2 of MEGURI2040, MOL participated in the existing domestic container ship working group, collaborating with Imoto Lines, Ltd., Tsuneishi Solutions Tokyo Bay Co., Ltd., and Furuno Electric Co., Ltd. to automate operations through retrofitting. Leveraging our expertise in ship operation and management, we oversaw the project, conducted risk assessments, performed demonstration voyages, and prepared for the national ship inspection as an "autonomous ship." MOL remains committed to solving social issues such as crew shortages, reducing labor burdens, and preventing maritime accidents to realize safe and secure maritime transport.

■ The Four Demonstration Vessels

In Stage 2, the following four vessels with different purposes and operating environments were verified under commercial operation and passed MLIT's inspection as autonomous ships:

● New Domestic Container Ship "Genbu": Managed by Eiko Kaiun Co., Ltd. and operated by Suzuyo Marine Co., Ltd., this 134-meter, 700TEU vessel operates on the route from Kobe to Tokyo via Osaka, Nagoya, Shimizu, and Yokohama. Designed as a flagship with all necessary autonomous functions, it passed inspection on January 28, 2026.

● Passenger Ship "Olympia Dream Seto": Operated by Ryobi Ferry Co., Ltd., this 66-meter, 500-passenger vessel connects Shin-Okayama Port and Tonosho Port. It passed inspection on December 5, 2025, becoming Japan's first "autonomous ship" in the busy Seto Inland Sea.

● Existing RORO Ship "Dai-ni Hokuren Maru": Operated by Kawasaki Kinkai Kisen Kaisha, Ltd., this 173-meter, 11,413-ton vessel transports agricultural products, mainly raw milk, from Kushiro to Hitachi. It passed inspection on February 9, 2026.

● Existing Domestic Container Ship "Mikage": Operated by Imoto Lines, Ltd., this 96.81-meter, 245TEU vessel is the most common type of domestic container ship in Japan. It passed inspection on March 25, 2026, aiming to contribute to the health of domestic logistics.

■ Two Shore-Based Support Centers

These vessels are supported by shore-based centers that monitor navigation, engine status, and environmental data in real-time. At the press conference, a world-first demonstration was conducted, connecting multiple autonomous vessels in commercial operation to shore-based centers simultaneously.

● Permanent Shore-Based Support Center: Located at Furuno Electric's headquarters in Nishinomiya, Hyogo, it enables simultaneous support for multiple vessels, contributing to crew burden reduction and safety.

● Mobile Shore-Based Support Center: Developed primarily by Japan Radio Co., Ltd., this cargo-trailer-based unit can be towed to safe locations during disasters or power outages, ensuring continuous remote support.